Crushing device for household wastes

ABSTRACT

This disclosure is directed to a crushing device for household wastes which includes a closed container having a front door; a ram head vertically movable in the container; a pair of cylinders mounted above the head and connected thereto by a pair of push rods pivoted at their mid point and having rollers at each extremity in contact with the top of the container and the ram head. The upper rollers are connected to a hand pump on the top of the container and actuated thereby.

United States Patent 11 1 Meidell l l CRUSHING DEVICE FOR HOUSEHOLD WASTES [75] Inventor: Rolf W. Meidell, Mimico, Canada [73] Assignee: Lawrence Peska Associates, Inc., New York, NY. a part interest [22] Filed: July 3, 1974 [21] App]. No.: 485,510

[52] US. Cl. 100/215; 100/245; 100/255;

100/266; 100/271; 100/294 [51] Int. C13. B30B 15/30; B30B 1/38 [58] Field of Search 60/477, 479, 400, 402;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 760,978 5/1904 Fuller .1 60/477 1 51 Sept. 30, 1975 2.441.275 5/1948 Keagle 100/266 x 3,714,890 2/1973 Moon 100/2117 x 3,728,959 4/1973 Fredrickson 100/286 x FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,145,221 3/1969 United Kingdom 100/270 Pl'ilmu'y E.\'uminer--Billy .I. Wilhite [57] ABSTRACT This disclosure is directed to a crushing device for household wastes which includes a closed container having a front door; a ram head vertically movable in the container; a pair of cylinders mounted above the head and connected thereto by a pair of push rods pivoted at their mid point and having rollers at each extremity in contact with the top of the container and the ram head. The upper rollers are connected to a hand pump on the top of the container and actuated thereby.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Sept. 30,1975 3,908,541

Fig. 2

CRUSHING DEVICE FOR HOUSEHOLD WASTES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to an improved crushing and compressing device for household use. This device also can be used to clamp together elements to be bonded by adhesive.

In a consumer society. the problems of collecting and disposing of household wastes becomes ever more critical. The various waste receptacles used become useless too rapidly because their effective volumes are inefficiently occupied by irregularly shaped rubbish or garbage of various sort. Up to now, compactors or crushers of the hand operated type suitable for home use have had complex constructional features such that their cost has been prohibitive in relation to the actual service they gave household occupants.

2. Description of the Prior Art The art to which this invention relates already is aware of the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 3,455,234; 2,330,165; 2,970,533 and 3,357,346. The devices described therein are not generally powerful enough to crush harder wastes such as bottles and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The main object of the present invention is to provide a crushing or compacting device for household use which readily can reduce all household rubbish and trash to a relatively small volume so as to facilitate final disposal thereof.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction of the device hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention, wherein like reference character identify the same or like parts:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view partly in section of a device embodying the features of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Referring to the drawing there is shown a rigid, metallic container of generally rectangular shape. Pivoted to front wall 12 by hinge 14 is door 16 with handle 18 for inserting trash into the container. Door 16 is of the type used on incinerators of apartments and opens out. Door 16 has sides 19 and 20 to funnel trash down the container without spilling. By opening door 16 it is possible to see whether the container is full.

Front wall 12 is hinged to side wall 22 by hinges 24 and is hermetrically locked by lock 26. As shown, the front wall can be opened to discharge the contents of the container.

A ram head or compactor 28 which moves vertically in container 10 provides the crushing action. Suitably, this member is of reinforced metal such as steel, aluminum, capable of withstanding deformation by relatively hard objects. As shown, the head is equipped with ball bearings 30 on its outer periphery or edge so as to readily move vertically along the sides of the container.

A pair of arms32 and 34 pivoted by pin 36 and normally urged together by retention springs 38 have rollers 40 at their lower ends. These rollers movealong the upper surface of ram head 28, and are held thereagainst by metal straps or channels 42. Friction wheels 29, 31 are mounted on the upper or shorter segments of arms 32 and 34, to which are pivoted plunger rods 44 themselves slidably connected to air or hydraulic cylinders 46 mounted on the underside of top 48 (FIG. 1). The cylinders are connected by conduits 50, 51 to hand pump 52 mounted on top 48 and actuated by handle lever 54 pivoted to the top at 56. A pressure release valve lever 58 pre-set for a pressure compatible with the internal resistance of the container is connected to conduit 59 to prevent excessive pressure build-up.

In use, trash is introduced in container 10 through trap door 16 and after closing the door handle 54 is pumped up and down actuating the cylinders and in turn rarn head 28 which will crush the trash in the container as it descends. When the pressure of the cylinders on arms 32 and 34 ceases springs 38 will bring the arms to the position shown on FIG. 1 thereby raising ram head 28 to the position also shown on FIG. 1.

While the drawing shows cylinders 46 to be air cylinders with air intake 60 these cylinders can instead be hydraulic.

The device of the invention conveniently can be installed in the incinerator or garbage room of an apartment building to prevent accumulation of garbage. With minor modifications, the device can be installed in the chute itself. In that modification, the bottom of the device will have a bottom or side trap door communicating with the chute to discharge the crushed garbage directly into the chute.

In another modification, a disposable waste container or bag which can be a rectangular-shaped paper or plastic bag is placed within the container 10 about the peripheral bearings of the ram head or otherwise secured to the walls of the container 10. The crushed gar bage will thus be collected in the bag and the front door of the device opened to remove the bag.

It will be realized that the present device can be used to compress to a pre-selected pressure objects to be glued such as sections of wood.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be deemed comprehensive of all forms of structure encompassed within their scope.

Having herein described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A device for crushing and compacting refuse comprising, in combination, a container including a side door hinged thereto, and a top trap door in said side door for introducing refuse in said container; a slidable ram head vertically movable in said container; ball bearings mounted along the periphery of said head for facilitating vertical movement thereof in said container; a pair of pivoted arms having rollers at their lower ends adapted to roll on the top of said ram head; straps holding said rollers on said head; cylinders connected to the upper ends of said arms for pushing said rollers against said head to lower same and to crush refuse in said container; a pump operatively connected to said cylinders; return means stretched between said arms for normally urging said arms together for raising said rarn head when pressure of said cylinders on said head is stopped.

2. The device of claim 1, further including conduits 

1. A device for crushing and compacting refuse comprising, in combination, a container including a side door hinged thereto, and a top trap door in said side door for introducing refuse in said container; a slidable ram head vertically movable in said container; ball bearings mounted along the periphery of said head for facilitating vertical movement thereof in said container; a pair of pivoted arms having rollers at their lower ends adapted to roll on the top of said ram head; straps holding said rollers on said head; cylinders connected to the upper ends of said arms for pushing said rollers against said head to lower same and to crush refuse in said container; a pump operatively connected to said cylinders; return means stretched between said arms for normally urging said arms together for raising said ram head when pressure of said cylinders on said head is stopped.
 2. The device of claim 1, further including conduits connecting said cylinders to said pump and a pressure release valve in one of said conduits for pre-setting a pressure compatible with the internal resistance of said container.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein said pump is mounted on said top of said container.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein said cylinders are air cylinders. 